Porsche PFM 3200 is a 6-cylinder serial aircraft engine with a maximum power of 162 kV (220 hp). Developed by Porsche for single-engine aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 2 tons. They are equipped with airplanes mainly produced by Apex Aircraft , Mooney und Cessna .
The abbreviation PFM in the name of the engine stands for it. P orsche F lugzeugzeug M otor (Porsche Aircraft Motor), and the number 3200 is the rounding of cylinder volume adopted in Germany.
Content
Background
Already in 1955, the Porsche company produced aircraft engines based on a 1.6-liter automobile used in the legendary sports model of the Porsche 356 . In 1981, the Porsche design bureau was tasked to develop a more powerful, but at the same time quiet, easily controlled engine with particularly low fuel consumption.
The engine, based on the boxer-engine six-cylinder boxer engine used in the Porsche 911 sports car model, was developed from 1981 to 1985 and was designed for sports and business airplanes. The six-cylinder engine with a volume of 3164 cc. developed 260 hp and 210 hp for the atmospheric version. Since automobile engines have a shaft rotation speed higher than that of conventional aircraft engines, it was necessary to use a 0.442: 1 reduction gear to drive a conventional aircraft propeller.
The first test round-the-world flight with a new Porsche engine on a single-engine Mooney 201 aircraft (pilots Michael Schulz and Hans Kamnik) started on July 10, 1985 from the airfield of Dunauchingham-Villingen ( Baden-Württemberg ) and ended on January 16, 1986 at the same airfield. For 600 flight hours, the plane traveled 100,000 kilometers. In this case, 300 takeoffs and landings were made. The longest non-stop segment was 4200 km - from Hilo ( Hawaii ) to Mojave ( California ), the flight along it lasted 15 hours and 20 minutes.
Technical Data
| Main positions | Indicators |
|---|---|
| layout | 6-cyl. boxer engine |
| Cooling | aerial |
| material | aluminum alloys |
| crankshaft | 2 pieces, located on top |
| grease | dry |
| volume | 3164 cm³ |
| power | 220 hp at 5300 rpm |
| Bore | 95 mm |
| Piston stroke | 74.4 mm |
| Compression ratio | 8.5: 1 T 03 |
| Fuel supply | 2 elect. K-Jetronic pump, automatic mixture adjustment. Formula "best power" and "best economy" at all heights |
| Ignition | 2 sets, electronic control and start |
| Electrician | 2 independent generators with mechanical drive, out. Voltage: 24 V, 35 V, 55 V and 70 A |
| Fuel | AVGAS 100 LL or MOGAS DIN 51600S |
| Gearbox | gear ratio 0,442: 1 |
| Dry weight | 200 kg including ignition systems, fuel injection, exhaust, oil cooler and tank |
| Dimensions (mm) | (D: W: H) 950 × 850 × 605 (without exhaust pipe) |
On the market
Contrary to the technical advantages, the PFM 3200 could not achieve the expected success in the US market for which it was designed. Equipping aircraft with engines with low fuel consumption in America was not considered an advantage and did not look attractive to potential customers.
In addition, the magnetic ignition system used in Porsche was designed for an electric generator driven by the motor. If the generator for any reason failed in flight, the plane could fly no more than one hour. Conventional magnetic ignition systems were built on the principle of independent operation, independently of the engine. Therefore, in 1990 the production of the engine was suspended.
This entailed paying considerable compensation in the United States, which is based on the statutory principle of long-term maintenance and spare parts supply. In 2005, the Porsche firm decided to completely abandon the further supply of these engines. The remaining unused components were given away to other models. And already ready planes equipped with them, it was decided to redeem as a last resort entirely. This entailed millions in losses to the concern.
Therefore, the project was assessed as not successful and was closed in 2005. In total, less than 100 aircraft engines were produced. .